Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Runs 400-Meter Hurdle World Lead In Miami At Grand Slam Track

Day two of Grand Slam Track was nothing less than exciting as some of the best athletes in the world lined up for another chance to win 100,000 dollars. According to the Grand Slam Track Instagram page, the Ansin Sports Complex in Miami was sold out. Fans from all across the country came out to see the likes of Olympic champions such as Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Gabby Thomas.

Here is a guide that recaps some of the major storylines from the second day of track’s rapidly growing new competitive league.

Ackera Nugent Defeats Newly Crowned American Record Holder Masai Russell To Become Short Hurdles Slam Champion

Grand Slam Track started the weekend on fire as Olympic champion Masai Russell ran a new American record in the 100-meter hurdles. Russell clocked a time of 12.17 seconds, which is now also the second fastest time in world history. Not even a hair behind her was 60-meter hurdle American record holder Tia Jones. Jones ran 12.19 seconds, also under the previous world and American record of 12.20 run by Keni Harrison in 2016.

ForbesOlympic Champion Masai Russell Secures American Record At Grant Slam TrackBy Cory Mull

Although many eyes were on Russell and Jones for their historical performances, world indoor bronze medalist Ackera Nugent placed third, running 12.34 seconds.

When it comes to Grand Slam Track, athletes and spectators must pay close attention to where the competitors finish. Slam champions are determined based on who scores the most points between their two contested events. The higher an athlete places, the more points they get.

Since Russell won, she earned 12 points. Jones placed second, earning her eight points. Nugent placed third, earning herself six points.

Despite Nugent only placing third in the hurdles, she still had a chance to win the Slam depending on how Russell and Jones did in the 100-meter dash. Nugent was the favorite going into the 100-meter dash because she had the fastest personal best of the field, 11.09 seconds. She ran the hurdles and 100-meter dash in college and obtained several All-American accolades in each event.

As many expected, the world indoor bronze medalist had a great start and easily pushed past her competitors. Nugent won the 100-meter dash and tied her personal best of 11.09 seconds.

Russell placed fourth, running 11.40 seconds, while Jones placed sixth, running 11.50 seconds. Russell and Jones earned 5 and 3 points, respectively, making their overall point totals 17 and 11. Nugent’s combined total came out to 18 points, earning her the title of Slam champion and 100,000 dollars.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Runs World Lead In The 400-Meter Hurdles

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone entered the Miami Grand Slam Track competition contesting the long hurdles.

Although this wasn’t McLaughlin-Levrone’s most technically sound race, her ability to run 52.07 seconds speaks volumes about her incredible talent. The six-time world record holder will race the 400-meter dash this evening and is the clear favorite to win that race as well. Fans can expect to see McLaughlin-Levrone walk away with another 100 thousand dollars before the night is over.

Since the first Grand Slam Track meet in Jamaica, many fans have expressed their desire to see McLaughlin-Levrone step outside of her comfort zone and experiment in different event groups in the Slams.

The Olympic champion is versatile across many events and could give the best women of their respective events a run for their money. McLaughlin-Levrone holds person bests of 22.07, 48.74, 12.65, and 11.07w in the 200-meter dash, the 400-meter dash, the 100-meter hurdles, and the 100-meter dash, respectively. The ‘w’ denotes that her time was wind-aided.

Spectators will have their dreams come true during the Philadelphia Grand Slam Track meet later this month. McLaughlin-Levrone confirmed that she will race in the short hurdles group. She mentioned

McLaughlin-Levrone mentioned she was excited to run the short hurdles in Philadelphia later this month after being asked her thoughts on watching Russell break the American record.

“It was amazing,” said McLaughlin-Levrone. “It’s a fast track, so I was really excited to run after watching them yesterday.”

In this interview, she speaks about the importance of doing different events and her joy in switching from the 400-meter hurdles. All the technical tools needed to be successful in these events could be great for continuing to elevate herself as an athlete and possibly breaking her world record in the 400-meter hurdles again.

McLaughlin-Levrone will contest the long sprints in LA next month.

Gabby Thomas Runs World Lead In The 200-Meter Dash, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden Defends Short Sprint Slam Title

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas was the first Grand Slam Track Racer to switch up their event group. In Jamaica, Thomas competed in the long sprint group. Thomas ran a world lead in the 200-meter dash at the time and earned herself a new personal best in the 400-meter dash.

Thomas went down a level this weekend in Miami and decided to race in the short sprints. The Olympic champion is a versatile sprinter, making this one of the most exciting match-ups of the meet.

In Jamaica, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden won the 100-meter and 200-meter dash to become the first Slam champion in the short sprints. Thomas’s better event is the 200-meter dash, while Jefferson-Wooden’s is in the 100-meter dash. With each woman being one of the best in their respective events, this match-up would bring out the best in them.

Jefferson-Wooden left nothing up to chance in the 100-meter dash, posting a time of 10.75 seconds to blow away the field. Thomas was fourth, running 10.97 seconds.

Thomas is the fourth fastest woman of all time in the 200-meter dash, so she was the favorite going into yesterday’s race. In a dominant and unsurprising fashion, the Olympic champion won and ran 21.95 seconds, lowering her previous world lead. Jefferson-Wooden placed third and ran 22.15, a new personal best for the Olympic bronze medalist.

The race wasn’t easy for either athlete, as Jefferson-Wooden is still learning to master the 200-meter dash, and Thomas typically prefers outside lanes due to her height and stride pattern. However, it is clear that both women fought hard despite the challenges they faced.

Jefferson-Wooden finished the meet with 18 points, reclaiming her short sprint Slam title. Thomas scored 17 points and placed second overall.

Jacory Patterson Runs World Lead In The 400-Meters

Three-time world indoor medalist Jacory Patterson became one of the major highlights of the weekend after his stunning performance. Patterson ran 43.98 seconds in the 400-meters, now a new world lead and personal best for the University of Florida graduate.

This opportunity to run as a challenger at Grand Slam meant more than most can imagine. Despite Patterson’s accolades, he is currently unsponsored by a major shoe company.

Patterson mentioned in his post-race interview that he works a full-time job at UPS in order to fund his track and field career.

“I’ve got a job loading trucks at UPS right now,” said Patterson. “I’m getting off at 4:00 a.m. every morning during weekdays. My goal was to come out here and make some money so I can go back home, focus on training, and not put my body through all of that.”

Although Patterson did not become the overall Slam champion for the long sprints, he placed second, earning him 50,000 dollars. In less than 48 hours, he made well over his yearly salary.

Professional track and field athletes who do not have sponsorships pay out of pocket for everything necessary for success: travel for competitions, medical and recovery treatment, coaches’ salaries, rent, groceries, and more. Some athletes have hailed this journey as “an expensive hobby” due to its stressful financial nature.

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Patterson isn’t the only athlete facing this problem. Dylan Beard and Chris Robinson are currently going viral for similar situations. Up until recently, world and Olympic champion Chris Bailey and two-time world champion Trevor Bassitt were also unsponsored. Both have now been picked up by Nike and Adidas, respectively.

Patterson trains in South Carolina under coach Tim Hall. Hall, currently head coach of the University of South Carolina track and field team, has coached many great athletes. He is most famously known for coaching the 60-meter world record holder and three-time world champion Christian Coleman for the majority of Coleman’s career. He also coaches 300-meter American record holder and two-time world champion Abby Steiner.

Patterson isn’t the only one under Hall’s wing. Hall’s professional training group, Cique Elite, includes other high-accolade athletes such as two-time world champion Matthew Boling, Olympic and world champion Wadeline Jonathas, Olympic and world champion Quanera Hayes, Olympic bronze medalist Taylor Manson, and more.

Based on his current progression, Patterson has a strong chance to make the world championship team later this season.

The final day of Grand Slam Track in Miami starts today at 3:42 p.m. EST. Fans can stream the action on Peacock and The CW.